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Today, we come to Matthew chapter 14, and we are going to look at a very fascinating story in the Bible. It's a real miracle that took place some years ago.  And it's a story of Jesus and Peter walking on water.

There's a story told of a man, a tourist who went to Israel. He was at the sea of Galilee and he saw a man with a sign that says, “Free boat ride to where Jesus walked on water.” So, he came to the man and said, “Hey, sir, I like to take this free boat right to where Jesus walked on water.” The boat man sailed him and brought him right into the middle of the sea.  And so he admired the wonderful scenery, breathed in the fresh air, and just immersed himself in that wonderful experience for some time.

And then he said to the boat man, “Sir, thank you so much for this wonderful free boat, I like to get back now.”   And the boatman said to him, “The boat ride here is free, but if you want to get back to the shore, it will cost you $1000 please.”  The tourist was astonished of course and he exclaimed, “No wonder Peter got to get out of the boat and walk on water.”

Well, we are going to look at this amazing miracle of walking on water.  Not this year, last year, it was something that happened some 2000 years ago, recorded for us in Scripture. It is fascinating that as I was preparing this sermon, I was also looking at some news report.  And there was this report in Reuters, by this man called, Dan Williams, just 5th of November.

He wrote about how Israel sees desalination as Sea of Galilee's Saviour. So what is this all about?  Well, basically the Sea of Galilee is now getting lower and lower.  The levels are getting lower.  The amount of water there is getting lower and lower.  And then Williams wrote about it, I won't tell you what that desalination is all about.  But he commented about how some 2000 years ago, Jesus walked across the Sea of Galilee, according to the Bible.

And he says, “Because the water levels are getting so low today, if you want to walk across that doesn't require a miracle anymore. Maybe it won't be a miracle soon, long periods of drought and over pumping have brought the lake low.  Last full in 2004, the sea of Galilee has dropped some 6 meters.”  That's a lot, 18 feet.

In fact, then Williams also recall that the Energy Minister of Israel, Yuval Steinitz who joked, “If he is coming back, we will have to make sure that he will have to make a real effort to walk on the water once more.”  He's joking that there's no more sufficient water for this miracle to take place.  Well, if he were to walk across the Sea of Galilee when there is very little water, it's no miracle. But Jesus did walk across the Sea of Galilee when it was really full.  And this miracle was not just on still waters, but it was on raging sea.  It was on stormy waters.  It was on tumultuous waters.

So, we are going to look at this story of walking on water in the context of the storm. That's what Matthew 14 tells us.  So, the storm here is brewing and Jesus and Peter walked on it. I hope today you will see this story from the perspective of the disciples.  You see there were some 12 disciples who were in that boat when Jesus walked on water.

So today, put on a pair of lenses that sees things from the disciples’ point of you.  Imagine yourself there. You see, the Bible is not written, just as a story for bedtime.  The Bible is not just a piece of history.  The Bible is a spiritual book.  The Bible tells us it is written for our instruction.  It is written for our encouragement.

So, this morning I like you to be engaged in the story of the storm. I like you to see yourself in this sacred drama as it were.  Because some of you today, right here, right now might be going through storms.  Some of you today might be going through a financial storm.  You have been retrenched.  You just lost your job.  Your business is folding.  You feel like you're going through a storm.  You are tossed up and down, to and fro.

Some of you today are going through medical storms.  You have just been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and you are uncertain.  You are confused.  You are fearful. Some of you go through family storms.  Marriage is breaking up.  Children is rebelling.  And you feel like life is no more quite under your control. Some of you are just simply going through storms of life, trials and difficulties.  And so I hope this passage will bring comfort and hope for you today.

How do we go through a storm of life?

Well, the story began as we or we ended last Sunday.  Last Sunday, we saw Jesus feeding the multitudes, some 15, 20,000 people simply with five loaves and two fishes. It was evening time and dinner is now over.  They were all amazed.  But dinner is now over. So, Jesus sends His disciples on the way, He calls them to take that boat to sail across the Sea of Galilee, while He Himself will remain on this side of the shore.  Because He wants to go to the mountain to have a season of personal prayer to His father.

So the story goes that the disciples began to sail.  They sailed from the shore and Matthew 14:25 tells us, they have sailed quite a long way off the shore.  How far you say?  Well, John chapter 6 tells us that they have sailed some 5 to 7 km out into the sea.  And then a storm began to brew.  A storm began to hit them.  The winds were strong. The winds were fierce.

And the waves beat upon the boat that they were in and now they were struggling.  They were struggling trying to keep afloat.  They were struggling trying to get forward, but they were making very little headway.  They struggled and struggled for hours.  You say, “For how long?” “ Until the fourth watch of the night”, Matthew tells us.

You say, “What's the fourth watch of the night?”  Well, the Jews look at the night time in four watches. So from 6 PM to 9 PM, that's the first watch.  From 9 PM to 12 AM is the second watch.  From 12 AM to the to 3 AM, that's the third watch.  And these disciples have been struggling out there in the storm until the fourth watch.  So minimum 3 AM.

Remember, it was dinner time that they sailed out, so I would suggest to you they have been paddling, struggling there for at least six hours.  They have been tossed up and down for that period of time. I suggest to you, they are probably now very stressed.  Won't you be? I mean, if you have been in the storm, if you’ve been seasick, you know that it is not a nice thing to go through, isn't it?

You will be stressed, you'll be exhausted, having to paddle.  You have lots of questions.  You'll be thinking, “Where is Jesus? He sent us on this trip and He's not here and now we are in the storm.”  And as if this is not enough, Jesus began to walk on water towards them.

Now, if you were in the storm in the middle of the night and things were just so stressful and difficult, what would you do when you see someone walking on water?  Well exactly, when the disciples saw Him walking on the water they were terrified and say, “It is a ghost!”  I find it interesting that like Chinese people, they believe in ghosts, some spirit, some phantom.  And this, O, it's a ghost and they cried out in fear.

It's almost like this is the last straw that breaks the camels’ back. They have been holding up for some time.  They have been struggling.  They are stressed.  They are tired but they are still keeping it. But now this is too much.  “Hah, I cannot take it anymore!”   And they were terrified, they were stressed, they break down.

Does it sound like you?  Because you're tired, you're stressed, you're exhausted.  You have so many questions in your head because you have been going so much in your life.  So many sessions of chemotherapy, so many pokes.  So many failures in your business.  So many discouragements at work. So many conflicts with your spouse, with your kids.  Life is no more under your control.

And then something, something unexpected, something unplanned for, something unwanted, something unthinkable now happens.  And it's like the straw that breaks your back.  You can't hold up anymore and your emotions just run wild.  You are terrified.  You are confused.  You are afraid.  You feel like you've lost all control.

It is interesting that it is at this point when they are terrified and afraid that Jesus gives a tremendous word of comfort, when He said, “Take courage, it is I.  Do not be afraid.” So, I say to this is God's Word for you, you gather today, we gather today to hear God's Word.  And like I said, “I believe the Bible is not written, just as a piece of history, but the Bible is spiritual instruction, nourishment for you.”

And I believe God has a word for you and He wants you not to be despairing. He wants you not to be discouraged. He wants you to take heart, be encouraged, do not be afraid.  You say, “Why? How is it that I do not need to be afraid in the storms of my life?”  Well, for one, recognize today that Jesus was fully aware of what the disciples had to go through.

The parallel passage in Mark, you see, the Bible tells us the story of Jesus in different ways. So, you have Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, they all tell about the life and times of Jesus.  And they give different perspectives. They enrich and enhance the understanding.  And so Mark tells us here, something that Matthew didn't record. Mark [6:48]  tells us that, “Jesus was absolutely aware of all that the disciples were going through when He sent them out to sea.”

I think the disciples must be thinking, “My Master sent me here and He's somewhere out there. He bochap [don’t care in Hokkien dialect] us.” Oh, no, no, no! Jesus has His eye towards His disciples all the time.  He saw them.  And moreover you need not be afraid.  Why?  Because remember just a while earlier in Matthew chapter 8, this is like the déjà vu.  You know because sometime earlier, Jesus also calmed the storm.

They were in a storm but of course at that point Jesus was in the boat with them. But in a storm, all Jesus needed to do was to say, “Peace, be still.”   And the winds and the waves ceased. So, if they had only known that Jesus is watching them.  If they have only remembered how Jesus calmed the storm, they would not need to fear.

But as if those lessons learned in Matthew 8 were not enough, Jesus now does something that they have not seen before.  Jesus now walks to them on water. He walks to them on the raging sea. He's almost saying, I think, by this lesson, this object lesson, this live demonstration. Jesus is saying, “The very thing you fear, the very thing that unsettles you, the very thing that causes you to be troubled.  The raging sea, it is merely a series of steps for Me to get to you. I walk on water, I am above the waves. I am above the storm.  The storm is something that is beyond your control, but I am above the storm. It's above your control, it's beyond your control.  But it is well within my control.”

Again it's uncanny this week as I was preparing this passage, I chance across a video of a Christian author named, Paul David Tripp.  Some of you might be familiar. Paul David Tripp just had a new book called, ‘Suffering’.  And in a video introduction which is about his new book, he spoke about two spiritual principles that are useful for him as he goes through suffering.  Just two truths.

The first truth, he said, which I find it so relevant to what we are looking at in this passage is this.  He says, “Everything that is outside of your control, lives under the control of the Saviour who gave His life for you.”

When you go through suffering, you will feel that life is not under your control, because if it is under your control.  You will get yourself out of that place of suffering.  So, when you go through suffering, when you go through hardship, you will feel like life is not within your control.  But remember this, everything that is outside of your control is really under the control of your Saviour who gave His life for you.

So, Jesus demonstrated that control when He walked on water towards them.  And you know something they learned something about Jesus that day.  They learned something about Jesus that they had not learned before. You say what is it, verse 33 tells us, “Those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly, You are the Son of God.””

This is the very first time the disciples said something like that.  The Father has already declared Jesus is the Son.  Even the devils, the, the demons have confessed Jesus is the Son.  But this is the first time in Matthew, we read of the disciples saying, “Wow, truly You are the Son of God.”

The last storm, Matthew 8 when Jesus calmed the storm, what did they say? You see, everyone forgets.  This is what they said, “What sort of a man is this, that even the winds and sea obey?”  They were amazed.  They were stunned.  They were shocked. But it's not the same as now going through the storm a second time, seeing Jesus walked on the waves.  They say, “Oh, He's not just man, truly, you are the Son of God.”

Now, it's amazing because the disciples have been with Jesus for two years now.  They have seen Him perform countless miracles.  They have heard Him preach amazing sermons, but they didn't quite learned this.  I mean even in the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes, we learned last week was an amazing miracle. But even then they did not understand it, did not quite get it.  They did not quite see the supremacy, the sovereignty, the power of Jesus. But now, when they go through the storm, they learned.

There's something about suffering that makes us learn.  There's something about going through the storm that makes us learn.  Isn't it true that we learned best, spiritually, when God puts us through the furnace of affliction? I believe this passage teaches me that our deepest worship often rises from the fiercest storm. It's when you go through those adversities, when you go through those trials and tribulations that it calls out the highest worship.  The deepest pains call out the highest worship.

Some of you are wondering why?   Why me?  Why now?  Why this pain?  Why this situation at home? Why this situation at work?  Why this situation with my health?  Why?  Maybe this is the reason why. That through your deepest pain, God is going to draw out the highest worship.  That our God, who knows what you're going through, who is able to deliver you from what you're going through, is intentionally putting you through it all, so that you're on the fast track to spiritual understanding and growth.

Oh, it's important that we are studying the Bible in, in church, in our Bible studies, in our own personal life.  It's important that we gather with one another, because these are the means of grace that helps us grow and flourish spiritually.  But don't ever forget the fast track, the advance course, called, ‘suffering’ in a storm of life.  Maybe that's why God is allowing you to go through pain today.  Not that He forsook you, not that he doesn't know what's happening to you.  But He's calling out the highest worship in you.

Well, Matthew tells us something that no other author tells us about. He, He gives us a little story within a story.  Because here we see Peter, Peter saying to Jesus with an audacious request.  Really, I mean he's the only guy who would do that, right?  He said to Jesus, “Is it really You? It's a lot of rain, I can't quite see.  Is it really You, Jesus?” “Well, if it is You, let me, walk to You on water too.  I want to be like You.”

Well, Peter is a cool chap, man.  He's just that goofy guy.  He's just that goofy guy. We, we think about but you can't fault him for his passion.  You can't fault him for his faith. He believes that if Jesus can walk on water, Jesus can enable him also to walk on water.  It's almost like Peter is saying, “I don't want to be caught up in the storm, I want to ride above the storm, together with you Lord.  You can help me do that.  Would you do that?”

And this is where I think I want to introduce to you the second principle, Paul David Tripp spoke in suffering.  He says, “Two principles.”  I, I just find it, when I saw this video this week, I'm studying this passage this week and it links. What's the first principle again? You see everyone cannot remember one. You never take down, you never copy, that's why you don't remember.  Well, “Everything that is outside of our control, lives under the control of our Saviour who gave His life for us.”

What's the second principle?   It is this, “The One who is in complete control is also near, so near that we can reach out and touch Him.”  In other words, it's helpful to know that we have a sovereign Saviour.  But it's also very important to realize, our sovereign Saviour is never far away. He's near to those who would call out to him.

So Peter says, “Lord, let me walk to You.”  And Jesus did not rebuke him.  In other words, I don't think this is a prideful moment.  This is not a show off time for Peter. He genuinely wanted to draw near to Jesus.  He genuinely wanted to rise above the storm. So, Jesus upon this audacious request by Peter, said, “Come.”  I can imagine Peter, still rocking in the boat there, wah, Cit Cor Lok Keok [clumsily in Hokkien dialect], I don't know how but he, he got out of the boat and, and, and “Wait, I can walk!  Wow!  Look at this, man.  Guys, look, look!”  I can imagine the disciples at the back say, “Wah, Peter, Zai Ah.  You got guts man, Peter.”

Some of them might feel very jealous.  Some of them, “Aiyah, I should have been the one to say that. Now, Peter, score point. I don't score point.” I don't know, but I think the 11 of them will be amazed at what's happening.  “Hey Peter, he walked on water as if he's walking on a stage.” And he was looking to Jesus, he was making good progress and you know what, the Bible tells us next.  Unfortunately, Peter began to see the winds, he begins to see the storm around him and he began to sink.  And Jesus reached out and saved him.

What a lesson!  What a picture!  I think the Bible is giving you pictures.  It's like Sunday school, giving you pictures to learn well.  He's giving you a picture of how important it is, that when you want to rise above the storm, you've got to keep your eyes on Jesus.

So often, when we go through the storms of life our eyes are on our circumstances. Our eyes are on the cancer, it's on the scan, it's on the chemo.  Our eyes are on our bank account, our eyes are on our wives, our husbands, our kids.  Not that you ignore them, you have to understand what's happening, but your focus, your trust, your dependence must be on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, Jesus picked Peter up and both of them got into the boat. There's another miracle that happened you know.  There are, this is a combination of miracles.  Miracle of Jesus walking on water.  Miracle Peter walking on water.  Miracle of the storm being stilled.  You know more miracle that happened that was not recorded in Matthew but given by John[6:21].  And that is the moment they got into the boat.  Not only that the storm absolutely ceased, but something amazing happened.

Then they were glad to take Him into the boat and immediately the boat was at the land.  It's like teleportation, man. I wish I have this when I'm running late or stuck in a traffic jam, immediately I'll get where to get to, where I'm supposed to be, but that's what happened. You see, what's the point of it all? I think what Jesus is demonstrating, what God is showing the disciples is this.  Once you learn your lesson, there will be not one more moment of unnecessary storm.  Once it’s done, it’s done.

Now, am I saying that every one of us going through the difficulties and hardships of life will definitely be delivered out of every hardship?  No.  Because some of us may take a whole lifetime to learn the lesson. Some of us we may go through storms, trials for the entire life.  But, it will take as long as it takes for God to show us Himself.  And once the lesson is over, it's done.

So this is a very simple story folks and I just want to encourage you, for some of you today going through the pains and sufferings and uncertainties of life.  You're tired, you're exhausted, you're stressed.  And then something unexpected, something unplanned, something unwanted, something unthinkable now crashes into your life. It's like the rug is pulled from under your feet.  You're stressed you're fearful, you're confused, you feel like all is under, all is no more under your control.

I say to you, “What's the priority in life?  Is that God wants you, He wants to draw out from you, the highest worship.  That in your deepest pain, when life is so not under your control and then when you see Jesus is absolutely in control over the uncontrollables in your life.  That you will bow down and worship and say, “Truly, You are the Son of God.” God is calling out faith in you.”

Remember today, everything that is not within your control lives under the control of your Saviour who gave His life for you. Remember today that the one who is in complete control is also near to those who will call upon Him.  So keep your eyes on Him.

I like what Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian lady who lived, some years ago had to say. She said, “If you look at the world, you will be distressed.  It's like looking at the winds and the waves, you will be stressed.  But if you look within, you will be depressed because you see nothing in you that can control the situations in life.  But if you look at God, you will be at rest.”

There's a Psalm and the verse in the Psalm [46:10] that says, “Be still and know that I am God.” That's right!  Be still and know that I am God.  In fact there's a song we sing a song which we will sing after this, which is about how we need to ride with God above the storm.  “When the oceans rise and thunders roar, I will soar with You above the storm. Father You are King over the flood, I will be still and know You are God.”

Today, I recognize that there are some who are new with us.  Some friends who may be worshiping here for the very first time, I understand there may be some of you today who might have been worshiping with us for a long time, but you may not have really understood the essence of the Christian message. Let me tell you this, “The essence of the Christian message is that Jesus conquers it all.”

The Christian message is that, more than anything else, Jesus conquered the problem of sin and death and hell. You see in a way, the greatest storm of man, of humanity, is the storm of sin.  It's sin that separates us from God.  It's sin that ruins our life.  It's sin that robs us of true joy.  It's sin that causes fears and anxieties and guilt and ultimately judgment and punishment in hell forever more.

Sin is the ultimate storm.  And sin is something we can't deal with. It is not within our control, we can't do anything to cleanse ourselves from sin.  We can't do anything to be worthy of God to forgive us our sins. It's beyond us! But here is the marvel of Jesus Christ, He walks above the storm of sin. Here is the wonderful good news of the Bible, Jesus took on your sins. He went to the cross, died because of your sins and He rose victorious the third day.  And now in a sense, He rides above the storm of sin.

So let me ask you, “Would you come out of the boat of your self-righteousness?” Some of you today may be very religious people. You go to other forms of religion.  You have your own sets of practices and at the end of the day, why do men do what they do in religion?  Because somehow we believe that if we do enough good things and we do less of the bad things, we might earn for ourselves forgiveness before a great deity.

But you know what, the Bible condemns that!   The Bible says that's self-righteousness, the Bible says “All your righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” But let me tell you, “Jesus, saves.  Jesus went to the cross.  He's lived a perfect life, gave Himself up as a sacrifice for your sins.”

So today, the question is:  Will you be willing to get out of the boat of your self-righteousness and look to Jesus, believe Him for salvation and life?  And you know what?  When you do that and when Jesus comes into your life, it calls out the highest worship.

Today Gospel Light Christian Church, we gather to worship God, not just because He has given you answered prayers.  Not just because He has healed you of your disease.  Not just because He has helped you in your business.  Not just because He has restored your home.  These are wonderful things God can do.

I'm not saying He always does that because like I said, He may have His purposes for you to go through hardships.  But the reason why we worship Jesus, why we worship God is because He has saved us from our sin.  And it is this deepest understanding of the Gospel of salvation from sin, from rebellion against God that calls out the highest worship in our hearts.  We are a redeemed people.  We are a blood-washed people. Let us then say, “Truly, Jesus, You are the Son of God.”

Let's bow for a word of prayer together. There is nothing more important than for you today to come to know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. What does it mean to know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour?  It means that you repent, you turn, you turn from your sin.  You turn from your self-righteous works and you look to Jesus Christ who gave His life for you.

Step out of the boat of self-righteousness today, be ye saved.  Oh sinner, would you today, repent and believe in Jesus?  It's not about building a church.  It's not about giving money.  It's not about doing good works.  It begins right here -  that you are humble, you’re broken.  You know that you are spiritually bankrupt and you say, “Lord, I have nothing but I know you're willing to give everything in Jesus Christ.
So today, I come as you have invited, as indeed You have commanded and indeed have promised that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Today I want to come. I want to come.”  Would you humble yourself today and come to Jesus in the storm of sin?  He saves. Jesus saves.

Brothers and sisters in Christ today, you're going through a terrible storm. It's been six hours, six days, six weeks, six years.  You've been paddling and struggling and making no headway whatsoever.  And now you are confused, because something unexpected happened. You are fearful.  You're terrified. You're anxious.  Would you today in the silence of your heart, hear Jesus says, “Take heart, it is I. Be not afraid”  Trust in Him in the storm of life.  Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Your God is not absent.  Your God is not blur.  Your God is not impotent.  But He is working something deep in your heart.  He's drawing out the highest worship deepest pain.  And one day the storm will cease.  And one day we will arrive at the shore.  And one day it will all be well.  But let's have a storm riding experience here on earth because we worship a great and good God.

So Father this morning, we commit ourselves to you. Bless Your people, those who need to be saved.  O God, may Your Gospel be driven right into their hearts, by Your Spirit.  And for those today who are crumbling under the difficulties of life, may they take heart as they look to Jesus, Your Son. Thank you and we pray all this in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

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